Role of the father

• What has most attachment research focused on?

  Mother-baby relationships
• Why has the role of the father in attachment been neglected?

  Most research has focused on mothers
• What percentage of fathers were the first sole attachment figure according to Schaffer & Emerson (1964)?

  3%
• What percentage of babies formed an attachment with their father by 18 months?

  75%
• What can be inferred about fathers being the first attachment figure based on the percentages provided?

  Fathers are less likely to be first attachment figures
• What behaviors indicate that a child has formed an attachment with the father?

  Seeking comfort, showing distress when apart
• What type of study did Grossman et al. (2002) conduct?

  Longitudinal study
• What was the focus of Grossman et al.'s (2002) study?

  Quality of baby’s attachment and later relationships
• How is attachment with the mother linked to later relationships according to Grossman et al. (2002)?

  It is linked to quality of adolescent relationships
• What aspect of play is related to adolescent attachments according to Grossman et al. (2002)?

  Quality of play with babies
• What did Field (1978) film in his study?

  Face-to-face interaction with babies
• How did PCG fathers compare to SCG fathers in Field's (1978) study?

  PCG fathers spent more time engaging with babies
• What two key terms can be linked to the role of PCG fathers?

  Primary caregiver and attachment
• What can be concluded about the role of the father from Field's (1978) findings?

  Fathers can be as nurturing as mothers
• What do McCallum & Colombok (2004) argue about children without a father present?

  They do not develop differently
• What does McCallum & Colombok (2004) suggest about the role of the father?

  It may not be as crucial as believed
• How can research into the role of the father have practical applications in the real world?

  • Inform parenting programs
  • Support single fathers
  • Guide policy on parental leave
• What advice could Jake receive regarding his daughter Laila's development?

  His involvement is crucial for attachment
• What is a limitation of potentially biased research in psychology?

  • Observer bias can affect results
  • Subjective interpretations may skew findings
  • Difficult to trust conclusions drawn
• What does the term 'observer bias' refer to?

  Influence of researcher's expectations on observations
• What is the difference between objective and subjective research?

  Objective is unbiased; subjective is influenced
• Why is it difficult to fully trust research into the role of the father?

  Due to potential biases in the research
• How can psychologists address bias in research?

  • Use double-blind studies
  • Train researchers to minimize bias
  • Employ objective measures